Builders are advertising "$50,000 in savings." First-time buyers are asking whether they can count on it. Here is where Bill C-4 actually stands as of March 2026. And how to plan around it.
What Bill C-4 Does
Bill C-4. Formally the Making Life More Affordable for Canadians Act. Amends the Excise Tax Act to create a new first-time home buyers' GST/HST rebate. It is separate from (and stacks on top of) the existing GST/HST new housing rebate that has been available for years.
The numbers:
- Homes up to $1 million: Eligible first-time buyers recover 100% of the federal GST. Up to $50,000.
- Homes between $1 million and $1.5 million: The rebate shrinks as the price climbs. A $1.25 million home? Roughly $25,000. A $1.4 million home? Considerably less.
- Homes at $1.5 million or above: The rebate disappears entirely.
It applies only to newly constructed or substantially renovated homes purchased as a primary residence. Resales don't qualify. Investment properties don't qualify.
Where the Bill Is Right Now
Bill C-4 passed third reading in the Senate on February 26, 2026. The Senate completed first reading (December 11, 2025), second reading (February 5, 2026), committee consideration (February 24, 2026), and third reading (February 26, 2026). The Senate sent the bill back to the House with amendments.
The bill is now before the House of Commons for consideration of the Senate's amendments. Once the House agrees on the final text, the bill goes to the Governor General for Royal Assent. Only then does it become law. Only then does CRA start processing applications.
The Realistic Timeline
No official dates have been published. Based on the legislative sequencing, here's a reasonable expectation:
- House vote on Senate amendments: February to March 2026. The Senate has finished its work, so this is the only remaining parliamentary hurdle. Parliamentary scheduling could affect timing.
- Royal Assent: Days to weeks after the House vote, assuming no further amendments are introduced. Observers expect this to move quickly given the broad cross-party support.
- CRA forms, guidance, and application launch: Spring to Summer 2026. Even after Royal Assent, the Canada Revenue Agency has to update its forms (GST190, GST191, related guidance), publish detailed instructions, and open the application process. That administrative setup takes weeks to months.
Builders already advertising "$50,000 in savings" are getting ahead of themselves.
What This Means If You're a Realtor or Mortgage Professional
Your clients are going to ask about this. Some already have.
If you're working with a first-time buyer on new construction, they need to know three things:
- The Agreement of Purchase and Sale must be entered into on or after May 27, 2025 to qualify. Agreements signed before that date. Even if closing hasn't occurred. Do not qualify. This is a hard line in the legislation, not a grey area.
- No one can apply for the rebate yet. CRA hasn't opened the process because the law hasn't been enacted.
- Even after Royal Assent, this money doesn't show up overnight. Your client's closing date could come and go before applications are even available.
If a builder is assigning the rebate to themselves at closing (a common practice under the existing GST/HST new housing rebate), make sure your client understands the representations and warranties they are signing.
What This Means If You're a First-Time Buyer
The short version: this rebate could save you a substantial amount of money on a new home. But you can't count on it until the legislation is enacted and CRA opens applications.
Our advice: plan your purchase as if the rebate doesn't exist. If it comes through, it's a welcome bonus. Not the load-bearing wall of your financing plan.
Talk to a lawyer before you sign. The eligibility criteria are specific. The timing requirements are specific. The definition of "first-time home buyer" under this legislation is specific. And it may not match what you assume it means.
What About Ontario's Provincial HST Rebate?
You may have seen references to combined savings of up to $130,000. That's the federal rebate ($50,000) plus a proposed Ontario rebate on the provincial portion of the HST (up to $80,000).
Ontario announced its intention to create a matching provincial rebate in October 2025. As of today, the provincial measure has not received Royal Assent either. It's a proposed bill, not enacted law.
The potential combined savings are real and worth understanding. But both pieces need to become law before anyone can claim them. We will cover the Ontario component in detail once that legislation advances.
The Bottom Line
Bill C-4 is further along than most legislation gets. It has strong cross-party support. The Senate has finished its review. The remaining steps. House consideration of Senate amendments, Royal Assent, CRA implementation. Are procedural rather than political.
But procedural steps still take time. Until they're complete, the rebate is a proposal, not an entitlement.
You can follow the bill's progress directly at parl.ca/LegisInfo.
We'll update as the bill moves through its final stages. In the meantime. If you have a new construction purchase closing this spring or summer and you want to plan for the rebate (or plan around it), get a free quote. We'll walk you through what's actually safe to count on.